Thousands more hectares of koala habitat protected forever: Griffin
Another 3,157 hectares of high quality koala habitat has been secured for the State’s national park estate ... Minister for Environment James Griffin said seven more properties spanning from near Tenterfield in the north, to near Cooma in the south have been protected in perpetuity ... Since 2019, the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government has secured more than 600,000 hectares for addition to the national park estate.
Bank body silent on disabled access breach of its Code
Today we learned three things: the Banking Code of Practice isn’t worth the paper it is written on, the format for emailing Westpac executives directly and that Anna Bligh’s Australian Banking Association will only engage with journalists who give them an easy run.
Five out of five – Illawarra REZ declared: Kean
The NSW Liberal and Nationals Government has declared the fifth Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) in the Illawarra ... The Illawarra REZ runs down the coastline from Wollongong to Shellharbour and around to Dapto capturing existing infrastructure such as Port Kembla, Dapto Substation and the Tallawarra Power Station.
Healthy Loddon Campaspe announces partnership with Grow It Local with free seeds to grow-along with costa from patch-to-plate
Healthy Loddon Campaspe has partnered with Grow It Local to encourage and educate residents across the region about healthy eating, cooking and growing local food. To celebrate the partnership, Grow It Local, Healthy Loddon Campaspe and Central Goldfields Shire Council have launched the Autumn 2023 edition of the Grow It Local Seed Service – a patch-to-plate adventure that makes free heirloom seeds and instructional content available to local residents.
Bridging the Gap under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan: Plibersek
The Government is beginning the process to buy water to Bridge the Gap under the Murray–Darling Basin Plan. These water purchases are voluntary. This water purchase is only for the remaining 49GL of the Bridging the Gap target. ‘Bridging the Gap’ is the largest pool of water to be recovered under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan – a total of 2,075GL. Around 49GL remains to be recovered: Tanya Plibersek.
Economic Contribution Study of the NSW hardwood timber industry
The North East NSW Forestry Hub has posted a report prepared by Ernst & Young into the economic significance of the NSW hardwood industry to the NSW and Commonwealth economies ... the report shows the critical importance of the industry to the Northern NSW economy, contributing $1.8 billion in revenue, adding $700 million to NSW GDP and employing 5,700 people in the region.
Statement on water buybacks: NFF
Reports are that these buybacks will not be used to progress the 450GL or 605GL recovery targets. However, it’s important this proposal doesn’t become a stalking horse to open up broader buybacks. We need open consultation and transparency in decision making and we’re looking to Minister Plibersek to lead that approach. We have recently written to water ministers seeking openness and transparency – both from the Ministerial Council and their advisory body the Basin Officials Committee: Malcolm Holm, NFF.
Partnership expands iconic Gold Coast Hinterland national parks: Scanlon
Two of Queensland’s most popular national parks have expanded thanks to a partnership worth more than $600,000 between the Department of Environment and Science (DES) and the Foundation of National Parks and Wildlife (FNPW). More than 185 hectares of undisturbed forest habitat has been added to the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage listed Lamington and Main Range National Parks.
Campaspe mayor applauds ministerial announcement on Lake Eppalock
Campaspe Shire Mayor Cr Rob Amos has applauded Minister for Water Harriet Shing’s announcement that the Victorian Government will conduct an assessment of operating and infrastructure arrangements at Lake Eppalock to find opportunities to reduce the impact of flooding ... “The spilling of Lake Eppalock in 2011 and 2022 caused catastrophic damage to the Campaspe Valley, particularly Rochester”: Cr Amos.
Aboriginal jobs: Time for action, not talk, says Cr Marli Banks
More than a third of the Alice Springs population, some 10,000 people, identify as Indigenous but less than 5% of the Town Council workforce of about 300 is Aboriginal, according to Cr Marli Banks. This makes a mockery of commitments such as the council’s Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan.
The Gap: More than a pretty picture
“The Queen got pulled up in The Gap. The Olympic torch got pulled up. I was there.” ... For eons people wishing to enter Arrernte land north of the ranges, through the magnificent landmark, had to have consent from the locals. It’s a requirement the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Board clearly failed to observe ...
Water buyback plan ignores evidence and farming communities: VFF
The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) says the Albanese Government’s plan to buyback water under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan ignores all evidence of the devastation farming communities will be forced to endure. VFF Water Council Chair Andrew Leahy said the announcement by Federal Water Minister Tanya Plibersek to buyback water continued to ignore the concerns of farmers about the reduction in the amount of water available to produce food.
Report uncovers domestic violence is rampant in the Barkly
Julalikari Council Aboriginal Corporation launched its regional report on family violence at Nyinkka Nyunyu ... The Working Group uncovered that the Barkly suffers significant levels of all forms of violence which is often going unreported due to a community belief that violence is tolerated.
Era ends after 27 years
Our four visiting surgeons - Drs Rob Padbury, Bill McLeay, Andrew Hunter and Tom Wilson – were the stars of a small farewell planned recently. But the farewell soon snowballed into a dinner meeting: ‘Some Thank yous, Farewells and Welcomes’ for 40 doctors who had contributed to our region’s health-care for 30-50 years.
$10m plan debated
A town Centre Rejuvenation Plan has been described as “fantastic” but should not ignore Naracoorte is a service centre with an economy underpinned by agriculture. Explaining his concerns, Cr Peter Ireland believed expenditure featured in the plan – a maximum of $9.7 million in the first three years – had a focus on tourism at the expense of Naracoorte being a service centre for agriculture.
Mental health tops priority list
Health priorities for Narrandera and regional residents have been set for 2023 during a meeting last week between Narrandera Local Health Advisory Committee and Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network ... The first priority was mental health, encompassing drug and alcohol and sexual health (domestic violence).
Tighter leash on dog-accessible parks denied
A move proposed at a Toowoomba Regional Council meeting last week which would have seen dogs prohibited from 11 public parks was voted down by Councillors. In March 2022, Council considered a proposal to make changes to the Register - Prohibition and Restriction of Animals in Public Places through the inclusion of 11 additional bushland parks.
Forest closures continue to hamper community recovery
As communities work diligently to recover from the recent flooding, local businesses are concerned that continuing forest closures are hampering the local economy’s recovery ... Further upstream, the Victorian Nationals leader Peter Walsh said despite the Moama Water Sport Club delaying the world’s biggest ski race until March 24-26 because of the floods, there is still no guarantee the banks of the Murray will have been reopened to the public. He says there is no reason beyond the usual government indifference, regional Victoria is “out of sight, out of mind.”
Native forestry set for the chop
Under the direction of Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, native forestry throughout the state of Victoria is set to be banned by 2030. The move has alarmed rural communities right across Victoria as the regenerative, carbon sequestering resource is not only a sustainable natural product, but provides significant employment, bushfire prevention and a boost to the economy.
Westpac delay welcomed
Patricia Gill. Denmark’s Westpac Bank is among eight regional Westpac banks Australia-wide whose closure has been postponed ... The closure of Westpac would leave the town with one bank operating, BankWest. Denmark’s NAB branch closed on February 9 after scaled-back opening hours and the bank citing a ‘new model’ affecting 114 small regional Australian branches.
Granny’s tea set: Roger Underwood
There was only one occasion on which Granny’s Tea Set actually did duty. It was an auspicious one. It was in the mid-1930s. The Great Depression was biting, Groupies were leaving their blocks in droves and things were tough. The then-Premier of Western Australia, James Mitchell (known derisively on the Groups as “Moocow Mitchell”), had finally been convinced that he should come down and have a look at what was going on, so he could appreciate the plight of the Group Settlers.
Events to commemorate Broome Air Raid 81st anniversary
The Shire of Broome, in collaboration with several community organisations, will host a program of events to commemorate the Broome Air Raid on Thursday, March 2 and Friday March 3, 2023, marking one of the deadliest wartime attacks on Australian soil ... "March 3 marks tragedy for Broome, although it is also a story of inspiration for those that helped the victims of this brutal attack and those victims that survived and lived to share the tale": Shire of Broome President Harold Tracey.
